An Afternoon at the Forest

I am the co-leader for my second grader's Brownie Troop.

It's really a very fun gig.  We get to sing, dance, create, serve and earn lots of badges.

Today, we spent the afternoon in Fontenelle Forest on a guided nature walk earning our Outdoorsmanship badge.

It was, well, nothing short of spectacular.

This time of year makes the Forest even more stunning than it normally is.

Miss Kathy taught us how to locate poison ivy, different forms of scat, which kinds of birds make what kinds of nests (the hawk's nest was the favorite), the in's and out's of Daddy Long Leg spiders, what to do if you get lost in the wilderness and how to respect the home of the creatures who live in nature.

We were keen observers.

But the one thing that I kept coming back to as we traversed the paths and crunched the leaves and watched yellow, red, and golden orange bits fall from the sky is that we're such a small part of all of this incredible world.  We have an important responsibility to respect each other, to use the earth's resources wisely and to observe rather than to collect.  Our job is to notice and to admire, not to amass.  Be mindful of what is there, but leave it in it's rightful place.  Don't take what is not yours.

And so, as Kate and I were driving home, I shared this quote with her...

Because truly, we are the most aligned, healthiest, peaceful parts of ourselves when we let go and embrace the natural world around us.

Here's to an afternoon in the Forest.